Bucket tooth unit



Oct. 21, N}. c w o 2,259,456

BUCKET TOOTHJUNIT Filed May 25, 1940 INVENTOR A N Crawford ATTORNEYS bucket.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 PATENT "OFFICE BUCKET TOOTH UNIT Arthur N. Crawford, Chinese Camp, Calif. Application May 25, 1940, Serial No. 337,222

' 17 Claims. (oi. 37-142) This invention relates in general to dredging equipment, and in particular the .invention is directed to an improved tooth unit for a dredge The removable teeth which are mounted on' andproject from the digging lip on dredge buck ets, especially when used in connection with mining operations, are subject to continuing and rapid wear at the earth engaging point. This necessitates repeated and frequent removal of lo the teeth for repair or replacement--all at a substantial cost and considerable loss of time.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a dredge bucket tooth unit which includes a removable digging pointy such digging point being arranged in connection with the remainder of the unit so that it may be readily and quickly removed and replaced without necessity of removing the body of the unit from the bucket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unique assembly for securing the removable digging point on the body of the unit; such assembly including a novel form of key.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eifective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts aswill fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the several views:

' Figure 1 is an elevation of the unit with the removable digging point partially engaged with the body. I

Figure 2 is anelevation of the'lmit as assembled and ready for use. 1

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the unit as-= assembled and ready for use.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the removable digging point and body separated but in position for relative longitudinal or approaching movement to engage said parts.

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section. of the key.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the device comprises a body I which tapers forward from its rear end; the general exterior configuration of the body being substantially the same as the teeth now used on dredge buckets. As is customary, the body at its rear end is formed with a rearwardly opening and enlarged socket 2 adapted to receive a supporting boss (not shown) which is fixedly mounted on and projects from the forward edge of the bucket. The boss is secured in the socket 2 in any suitable manner as by bolts or the like which pass through bolt holes in the body, one of which is shown at 3.

Forwardly of the bottom of socket 2, the body I is reduced in size both vertically and horizontally while maintaining a generally symmetrical form so as to provide a tapering tongue 4 bordered at its rear end on both sides and the bottorn by forwardly facing abutments indicated generally at 5-. Immediately to the rear of tongue 4 and above the bottom portion of socket 2, the body I is formed with a transverse cut or groove 6 which is rectangular in cross section; the upper edge of the forward wall 1 of'said groove being the back edge of the upper portion of tongue 4. Such groove 6 extends from side to side of the body I.

A rectangular pocket 8 is cut rearwardly through the rear wall 9 of groove 6 with the bottom of said pocket flush with the bottom of the groove; said pocket terminating at its ends short of the sides of the body I.

The removable digging point is indicated at N, such point tapering substantially symmetrically with the taper of body I. Adjacent its rear end the digging point I0 is formed with a forwardly tapering, rearwardly opening socket ll adapted to receive tongue 4 with a close lit and with the rear edges of the digging point at the sides and bottom then engaging the abutments 5.

Above the socket H the digging point In is provided with an integral rearward extension l2 of a width and length to fully overlie groove Ii when tongue -4 is seated in socket II. A downturned flange or lip I3 is formedon the rear end of extension I2 and when the unit is assembled, extends downward into groove 6 in engagement with wall 9 but leaving a substantial space between said lip l3 and forward wall! of the groove. A rectangular locking tongue '14 projects rearwardly from lip [3 at its lower end and is adapted to snugly seat in pocket 8; the space between said lip l3 and wall 1 being greater than the projecting distance of tongue i4.

When the removable digging'point I0 is fully engaged with body i and with looking tongue or tang I4 seated in pocket 8, a locking key, indicated generally at I5, is driven transversely of the body through the then existent opening between lip l3 and the forward wall 1 of groove 6; such locking key preventing relative forward movement of the digging point and maintaining the same in secured relation on the body I.

The key .5 comprises a metallic bar it having laterally extending driving heads ll formed on both ends thereof, said heads including short ears l8 projecting lengthwise of the bar [6 in overhanging relation thereto. A rubber block I! is seated on bar l6 and extends between the heads and under the ears l8; securing pins 20 .extending from said ears to the bar through the ends of the rubber block. Between the ears l8 the rubber block projects out some distance, the projecting portion being provided with a metallic cap 2| beveled transversely at its ends as at 22,

the normal depth of the key being greater than the width of the space between lip i3 and wall I.

In use, the above described key is driven between lip 13 and wall 1 with cap 2| engaging either lip l3 or wall I; the rubber block then being compressed and assuring that the key is frictionally held in place during use of the tooth unit. In order to remove the digging point II] from the body for replacement or repair, the key I5 is driven out with a suitable driving element.

front wall and lip shoulder, which are thus en-- gaged by the front and, rear faces, respectively, of the key, are directly opposed. This frees the key from bending strains which would result if the front and rear faces, respectively, of the key bore against surfaces which were not directly opposed but instead were offset with one surface centrally located opposite a gap between laterally spaced key-engaging surfaces, which is the usual arrangement for locking keys for securing removable digger points.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

3 While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a depar'turefrom the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

While I have described my invention in terms of a dredge bucket, it will be understood that I do not limit my invention to use in dredge buckets in the narrow sense of that term, and that in the claims the general term digger teeth" embraces as well teeth used in dragline buckets, excavator dippers, loader scoops, scarifiers, and the like.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A digger tooth unit including a body adapted to be mounted on and project from a digger, the forward end of said body being formed as a forwardly tapering tongue, 2. separate digging point, said point having a rearwardly opening socket into which said tongue -is ,snugly seated, and, means quick detachably securing the digging point on said body; said means comlying a portion of the body, said portion of the body having an upwardly opening groove out transversely therein and 'open to the side, a downturned lip on the extension depending therefrom into the groove and extending substantially the width of the body, a locking tongue projecting rearwardly from said lip, there being a pocket in said rear wall into which said locking tongue engages, and a key driven transversely of the body between said lip and the forward wall of the groove.

2. A device as in claim 1 in which there is normally a greater space between said lip and the forward wall of the groove than the rearwardly prising a rearward extension on the point overprojecting distance of said locking tongue.

'3. A digger tooth unit including a body adapted to be mounted on and project from a digger, the forward end of said body being formed as a forwardly tapering tongue, a separate dig-v tongue engages, and a key driven transversely of the body between said lip and the forward wall of the groove, the locking tongue being of substantial width but less than the width of the lip and the body and the pocket being closed at its ends. a

4. A digger tooth construction including a forwardly projecting digger-carried base, the forward end of which is formed as a forwardly tapering tongue; 9, separate digging point having a rearwardl'y operiingsocket into which the tongue is seated; and means forouick-detachably securing the digging point on the base, comprising a rearward extension on the point overlying a portion of the base, an upwardly opening transverse groove, open to the side, in the base and forming a rearwardly facing front wall and a forwardly facing rear wall, a forwardly opening tank pocket in the rear wall, a locking tongue projecting rearwardly from the extension and engagingly received in the pocket, a forwardly facing shoulder on the extension depending therefrom into the groove in spaced opposition to the forward wall of the groove, and

a key driven transversely of the base between and front wall.

5. A digger tooth construction according to claim 4, wherein the rearward edges of the side walls of the socket of the point, the forward wall of the groove in the base, and the depending shoulder of the extension combine to form front and rear faces of a keyway for the key, which faces extend substantially continuously throughout the width of the point.

6 A digger tooth construction according to claim 4, wherein the key is resilient and compressed between the shoulder and the front wall of the groove. 1

7. A digger tooth construction according to claim 4, wherein the key is resiliently cored and versely-at its ends.

10. A device as in claim 8, in which one of said members is beveled at one end and such end is disposed back of the corresponding end of the other member whereby to facilitate the initial placement of the key between the spaced elements of the tooth unit.

11. A digger tooth construction comprising a digger-carried base, a separate digging point,

and means quick-detachably mounting the point on the base, including spaced elements whose spacing prevents relative separation of the point from" the base, and a'resiliently. cored key fric tiona-lly but removably engaged between said elements and resiliently spacing them.

,12. A digger tooth construction comprising a digger-carried base, 'a separate digging point,

spaced opposed abutments on the base and point,

the spacing of which prevents separation of the point and the base, defining a keyway, and a transversely resilient elongated key driven into the keyway'and compressed between the abutments and resiliently spacing them.

13. A digger tooth [construction accordingto claim 12, wherein the key comprises metallic facing along its opposite) sides for engagement with the respective abutments and an inter-facing resilient core for frictionally engaging the facing with the shoulder and front wall to retain the key.

1 members is in the form of a cap beveled trans- 14. A digger tooth construction according to claim 12, wherein the key comprises a core of resilient material metallically jacketed along its sides for slidably contacting the respective abutments and at its end for driving the key transversely of the tooth.

, 15. A transversely resilient elongated key to be placed between keyway-forming spaced opposed faces of relatively movable parts whereby to hold the parts assembled, comprising an elongated core of resilient material and a metallic facing extending along opposite sides of the core for engaging the opposed faces of the keyway and extending across at least one end of the core to provide an impact surface for the end of the key in driving it into and out of the keyway.

16. A composite, unitary, self-contained key adapted to be slidingly inserted between opposed keyway-forming surfaces of parts which are to be locked'together thereby in predetermined assembled relation, comprising non-fixedly spaced outward facings, of relatively hard, wearresistant material for opposite sides of the key, and resilient compressible means interposed between the facings for urging them apart and into engagement with the respective surfaces, whereby to urge the surfaces apart and to retain the key 3 by binding engagement of the facings with the surfaces.

1'7. A composite, unitary, self-contained key to be slidingly inserted between opposed keywayforming surfaces of parts which are to-be there.- by locked together, comprising a relatively hard, non-compressible material forming a facing alongtwo opposite sides of the key, and resiliently compressible means interposed core-wise between the facings for urging them apart and into engagement with the respective surfaces of the parts whereby in, turn to urge the surfaces apart.

' N. CRAWFORD. 

